Dock leveler sealing systems

ABSTRACT

Dock leveler sealing systems are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, a dock leveler sealing system can include a bottom seal configured to be attached to an underside of a dock leveler deck and extend transversely thereto, and two side seals configured to be attached to opposite end portions of the bottom seal and extend forwardly therefrom. The side seals can be shaped and sized to effectively seal openings and/or gaps that may exist between the bottom seal, the deck lip, a shipping vehicle, a dock bumper, and/or the building floor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to systems for sealing gapsbetween a dock leveler, a loading dock, and/or a shipping vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and large retail outlets typicallyinclude one or more loading docks for transferring goods to and fromtrucks, trailers, and other shipping vehicles. Conventional loadingdocks usually consist of an opening in an exterior wall of the building.The opening is typically positioned a few feet above the ground so thatit is approximately level with the bed of shipping vehicle, and isusually covered by a sectional door.

Some loading docks include a dock leveler with a movable deck or ramp toadjust for any misalignment between the floor of the loading dock andthe bed of the trailer. Vertical dock levelers are, as the name implies,stored in a generally vertical position when not in use, whilehorizontal dock levelers are stored in a lowered and generallyhorizontal position. With either type of leveler, the aft edge of theramp is typically attached to a hinge structure mounted to the floor ofthe loading dock or to the rear wall of a deck pit formed in the floor.The forward edge of the ramp typically carries a pivoting lip extendsoutwardly to engage the trailer bed for use.

To transfer goods to or from a trailer, the rear doors on the trailerare opened and the trailer is backed up to the loading dock opening.With the trailer in position and the loading dock door raised,horizontally stored decks first pivot upwardly about the rear hinge toallow the lip to extend, and then downwardly toward the open end of thetrailer until the lip comes to rest on the bed. Vertically stored deckssimply rotate downwardly about the rear hinge as the lip extendsoutwardly and ultimately comes to rest on the trailer bed. Workers, forklifts, etc. can then move into and out of the trailer to load and/orunload cargo. As cargo is moved into or out of the trailer, the dockleveler moves up or down as needed to accommodate any vertical movementof the trailer bed relative to the building floor. Various types of docklevelers and associated features are disclosed in, for example, U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,475,888, 6,125,491 and 7,216,392, each of which isincorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

Gaps can form around the top and sides of the trailer and the loadingdock opening when the trailer is in position and the loading dock dooris open. These gaps can allow conditioned air to exit the building orthe trailer, and/or allow undesirable elements (e.g., rain, snow,warm/cold outside air, debris, insects, etc.) to enter the building orthe trailer, resulting in energy losses, undesirable working conditions,spoiled goods, and/or other deleterious effects. For this reason, manyloading docks include a compressible dock seal or a shelter that extendsaround the top and sides of the loading dock opening to seal gaps thatmay exist between the aft end of the trailer and the dock opening.Examples of such sealing structures are disclosed in, for example, U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/860,468, filed Sep. 24, 2007, andentitled “LOADING DOCK TRUCK SHELTERS,” U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/360,082, filed Jan. 26, 2009, and entitled “LOADING DOCK TRUCK ANDTRAILER SEALS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/334,167, filed Dec. 12, 2008, and entitled“SEGMENTED DOCK SEALS FOR TRUCK LOADING DOCKS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS,” each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety byreference.

Undesirable leak paths can also exist beneath and around deployed docklevelers. Gaps may exist, for example, between the sides of the deck lipand the trailer bumpers positioned on opposite sides of the loading dockopening. The area under the front of both horizontally stored anddeployed decks can also create leak paths. Such leak paths can allowoutside air and debris to flow under the front of the deck and passupwardly into the building through gaps between the rear and side edgesof the deck and the adjacent pit walls. Various types of seals have beenused around and beneath the deck to seal these leak paths. Such sealsare disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,046,857 and 7,594,290,each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a dock leveler having a sealing systemconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2D are a series of front, rear, side cross-sectional, andenlarged views, respectively, of an dock leveler bottom seal configuredin accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are front and side views, respectively, of a side sealsub-assembly configured in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3C is a side view of a side seal cover, and FIG. 3D is a side viewof a side seal composed of the side seal sub-assembly of FIGS. 3A and 3Band the side seal cover of FIG. 3C.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate two stages in a method for manufacturing abumper seal in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure,and FIG. 4C is an isometric view showing the bumper seal of FIGS. 4A and4B installed on a loading dock bumper in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A is a side view of a bottom seal installed on a vertical dockleveler in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 5B is a front view of a sealing system installed on the dockleveler in a partially raised position in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6A-6C are a series of isometric views illustrating various stagesin a method for installing two of the side seal shown in FIG. 3D on thebottom seal of FIGS. 2A-2D in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a tether assembly configured in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are side views of a dock leveler illustrating variousstages in a method for installing and adjusting the tether of FIG. 7 onthe sealing system of FIG. 5B in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a deployed dock leveler having a sealing systemconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure describes various embodiments of dock levelersealing systems and associated methods of manufacture and use. Certaindetails are set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 1-9 toprovide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the presenttechnology. In other instances, well-known structures, materials,operations and/or systems often associated with dock levelers, dockleveler seals, etc. are not shown or described in detail in thefollowing disclosure to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description ofthe various embodiments of the technology. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will recognize, however, that the present technology can bepracticed without one or more of the details set forth herein, or withother structures, methods, components, and so forth.

The accompanying Figures depict embodiments of the present technologyand are not intended to be limiting of its scope. The sizes of variousdepicted elements are not necessarily drawn to scale, and these variouselements may be arbitrarily enlarged to improve legibility. Componentdetails may be abstracted in the Figures to exclude details such asposition of components and certain precise connections between suchcomponents when such details are unnecessary for a completeunderstanding of how to make and use the invention. In a similar regard,many of the details, dimensions, angles and other features shown in theFigures are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of thedisclosure. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details,dimensions, angles and features without departing from the spirit orscope of the present invention. In addition, those of ordinary skill inthe art will appreciate that further embodiments of the invention can bepracticed without several of the details described below.

In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify identical, or atleast generally similar, elements. To facilitate the discussion of anyparticular element, the most significant digit or digits of anyreference number refers to the Figure in which that element is firstintroduced. For example, element 110 is first introduced and discussedwith reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a dock leveler system 100 having asealing system 120 configured in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. The dock leveler system 100 is installed in anopening 102 of a warehouse or other building 104. In the illustratedembodiment, the dock leveler system 100 includes a deck 114 having anaft edge portion hingedly attached to a back wall 106 of a lower floor108 (e.g. a pit floor) by a suitable mounting frame in a known manner. Apivoting deck lip 116 extents outwardly from a forward edge portion ofthe deck 114 to contact the bed of a trailer or other shipping vehiclefor loading and/or unloading the vehicle. Although the dock levelersystem 100 depicted in FIG. 1 may be a vertically-stored dock leveler,the various sealing systems described herein are equally usable withother types of dock leveler systems, including horizontally stored docklevelers.

In one aspect of this embodiment, the sealing system 120 is operablycoupled to an underside portion of the deck 114 proximate the lip 116.The sealing system 120 includes a main or bottom sealing pad or bottomseal 122 extending transversely proximate the forward edge portion ofthe deck 114, and two side sealing pads or side seals 124 (identifiedindividually as a first side seal 124 a and a second side seal 124 b)projecting forwardly from opposing end portions of the bottom seal 122.As described in greater detail below, in the illustrated embodiment eachof the side seals 124 is configured to rub against a correspondingbumper seal 126 (identified individually as a first bumper seal 126 aand a second bumper seal 126 b) mounted to an adjacent dock bumper 112(identified individually as a first dock bumper 112 a and a second dockbumper 112 b) as the deck 114 rotates downwardly into the deployedposition. When the deck 114 is fully lowered so that the lip 116 isresting on the bed of a trailer, the side seals 124 can effectively sealpotential leak paths that may otherwise exist between the underside ofthe deck lip 116, the bottom seal 122, the floor surface 108, and theback of the parked trailer (not shown).

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the various embodiments of the under-docksealing systems described herein are intended to be used in conjunctionwith a suitable trailer sealing system known in the art. Such trailersealing systems are configured to seal potential gaps that may otherwiseexist into or out of the open end of the trailer and/or the interior ofthe building 104. Some such sealing systems include compressible top andside seal pads which are mounted to the outer wall of the building 104around the top and side edges, respectively, of the opening 102. Whenthe open trailer backs into the loading dock, the trailer contacts andcompresses the top and side seal pads to form a seal. In otherembodiments, the loading dock can include a shelter-type seal whichencloses the aft end of the trailer to seal the aft end of the trailerwith respect to the building 104. Suitable close-out pads can also bepositioned in the lower corners of the opening 102 to supplement thesealing provided by a shelter-type trailer seal or and/or other types ofseals. Various examples of dock seals and shelters are disclosed, forexample, in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/860,468, 12/360,082,and 12/334,167 which, as set forth above, are incorporated herein intheir entireties by reference.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and rear views, respectively, of the bottomseal 122 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, and FIG. 2C is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of thebottom seal 122 taken substantially along line 2C-2C in FIG. 2A.Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C together, the bottom seal 122 has a generallyelongate rectangular shape configured to extend the full width, or atleast approximately the full width of the loading dock deck for which itis intended to be used. The bottom seal 122 includes a proximal endportion 230 having an edge portion 234 configured to be attached to anunderside of the deck, and a distal end portion 232 configured tocontact a floor of the dock leveler pit when the dock leveler is in thelowered or deployed position. As shown in FIG. 2C, in the illustratedembodiment the bottom seal 122 is formed from one or more pads 236(e.g., two foam pads 236) which are enclosed in a durable cover 238(e.g., a woven vinyl-coated polyester fabric cover). The pads can havevarious thicknesses, ranging from about 0.08 inch to about 0.5 inch, orabout 0.12 inch to about 0.25 inch. The cover 238 can enclose the pads236 and be stitched together at a joint 240 that enables the bottom seal122 to hingeably fold about the joint 240. Additional stitching canenclose the upper pad 236 within the cover 238 proximate the upper edgeportion 234. As described in greater detail below, the upper edgeportion 234 can be suitably fastened or otherwise attached to theunderside of the deck (e.g., the deck 114 of FIG. 1) to hingeably orpivotally attach the bottom seal 122 to the deck. The upper edge portion234 can also include a notch 254 or other feature to accommodate passageof a cylinder or other mechanism for extending the lip 116 as the deck114 rotates into position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom seal 122 further includes asleeve 242 positioned proximate to the aft surface of the distal endportion 232. A proximal end portion 246 of the sleeve 242 formed byoverlapping portions of sleeve material is stitched or otherwisesuitably attached to the aft surface of the bottom seal 122. The sleeve242 contains an elongate weight 244, such as an elongate metal tube thathelps to hold the distal end portion 232 downwardly against the pitfloor when the deck is in the lowered position. The bottom seal 122 canbe at least generally similar in structure and function to variousbottom seals disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,290, which, as set forthabove, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety by reference.

In a further aspect of the illustrated embodiment, the bottom seal 122includes a plurality of fastening features for attaching the side seals124 to the front face of the bottom seal 122. For example, the bottomseal 122 can include a first fastening feature 248 a positioned toward afirst end portion, and a corresponding second fastening feature 248 bpositioned toward an opposite second end portion. In the illustratedembodiment, the fastening features 248 can include a portion of asuitable hook and loop type fastening system (e.g., Velcro®), such asthe hook portion of a hook and loop type fastening system. The fasteningfeatures may come in tape form (e.g., 2 inch tape) that is applied in aseries of strips to form an attachment region having a first height H1and a first width W1. The first width W1 can be from about 8 inches toabout 20 inches, or about 12 inches. The first height H1 can extend fromthe proximal end portion 230 of the bottom seal 122 to the distal endportion 232. In one embodiment, for example, the first height H1 can befrom about 10 inches to about 24 inches, or about 15 inches. In otherembodiments, however, the bottom seal 122 and/or the attachment regions248 can have other heights and/or other widths.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the aft surface of the bottom seal 122 alsoincludes a portion of the first fastening feature 248 a and a portionthe second fastening feature 248 b which curl around the distal endportion 232 of the bottom seal 122 and extend partially up the backsidefor a distance of about 1 inch to about 4 inches, or about 2 inches, toform corresponding aft attachment regions 252 a and 252 b. Moreover,upper portions of the first fastening feature 248 a and the secondfastening feature 248 b form corresponding flaps 250 a and 250 b whichare hingedly attached to the bottom seal 122 proximate the upper edgeportion 234. As described in greater detail below, the fasteningfeatures 248 attach to corresponding fastening features on the sideseals 124 to suitably mount the side seals to the bottom seal 122 duringassembly of the sealing system 120 (FIG. 1).

Turning next to FIG. 2D, in the illustrative embodiment each grommet tab256 includes a grommet 260 installed in a distal end portion 232thereof. As described in greater detail below, the grommet 260 isconfigured to receive a hook or other attachment feature on a distal endof a tether for controlling the fore and aft positions of the side seals124 as the dock leveler is rotated downwardly into a deployed position.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are front and side views, respectively, of a side sealsub-assembly 370 configured in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B together, the side sealsub-assembly 370 is generally constructed from one or more pieces of acompressible core 372 (e.g., a compressible foam core) that is coveredby a flexible and durable fabric 374 (e.g., a 22 oz. woven vinyl-coatedpolyester fabric) that can be stitched and/or bonded together to form acover in a known manner. The cover can include one or more vent holes(not shown) to allow air, moisture, etc. to flow into and/or out of theside seal 124 during use. In the illustrated embodiment, the side sealsub-assembly 370 can have a second width W2 of from about 4 inches toabout 24 inches, or about 8 inches; and a first length L1 along a loweror bottom surface 354 of from about 8 inches to about 24 inches, orabout 15 inches.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the side seal sub-assembly 370 includes a forwardor front “finger” 351 having a forward surface 350 extending between thebottom surface 354 and a first upper surface 356 a. A beveled surface360 extends between the forward surface 350 and the first upper surface356 a. The side seal sub-assembly 370 also includes an aft or rearfinger 353 having a rear surface 352 extending upwardly from the bottomsurface 354 to a second upper surface 356 b. In the illustratedembodiment, the first upper surface 356 a is positioned at a secondheight H2 of from about 10 inches to about 30 inches, or about 19 inchesabove the bottom surface 354, and the second upper surface 356 b ispositioned at a third height H3 of from about 8 inches to about 20inches, or about 15 inches above the bottom surface 354, so that thesecond upper surface 356 b is stepped down somewhat relative to thefirst upper surface 356 a.

The rear surface 352 extends upwardly at a slight angle relative to thebottom surface 354. This angle approximates the angle the bottom seal122 assumes relative to the pit floor 108 as the deck 114 approaches ahorizontal position. More specifically, the weight of the side sealingpads 124 cantilevered outwardly in front of the bottom seal 122 causesthe bottom seal 122 to rotate slightly aft about its hinge point. As aresult, the bottom seal 122 hangs at an angle less than 90 degreesrelative to the pit floor 108. To accommodate for this angle, the rearsurface 352 is canted slightly forward at an incline of from about 2degrees to about 15 degrees, or about 5 degrees.

In another aspect of the illustrated embodiment, the front finger 351 isspaced apart from the rear finger 353 by a gap G which extendsdownwardly a portion of the distance toward the bottom surface 354. Insome embodiments, for example, the bottom surface of the gap G can bepositioned at a distance of from about 3 inches to about 9 inches, orabout 6 inches above the bottom surface 354. A first fastening feature362 a (e.g., a strip of hook material for a hook and loop fasteningsystem; shown by cross-hatch in FIG. 3B) is stitched, bonded orotherwise attached to the side seal sub-assembly 370 along the frontside of the gap G, and a similar second fastening feature 362 b isattached to the side seal sub-assembly 370 along the rear side of thegap G. Similar fastening features exist in corresponding positions onthe opposite side of the side seal sub-assembly 370 adjacent to the gapG.

A releasable fastening feature 348 a (e.g., a plurality of 2 inch widestrips of hook material from a hook and loop type fastening system) canbe sewn, bonded, or otherwise attached to the rear surface 352. Similarfastening features 348 b and 348 c (e.g. additional portions of hookmaterial) can be similarly attached to the second upper surface 356 band to the back side of a lower flap 358, respectively.

FIG. 3C illustrates a side view of a first side panel cover 376 aconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Asecond side panel cover (not shown) can be generally a mirror image ofthe first side panel cover 376 a. In the illustrated embodiment, theside panel cover 376 a has a shape that approximates the shape boundedby the first and second fastening features 362 which extend verticallyon the side surfaces of the side seal sub-assembly 370, the adjacentportion of the bottom surface 354, and the adjacent portions of theupper surfaces 356 a and 356 b. The side panel cover 376 a also includesan angled edge portion 378 that is configured to span the gap G andapproximately match the line from the rear corner of the front finger351 to the front corner of the rear finger 353 and (FIG. 3B). Inaddition, the backside of the side cover 376 a includes a thirdfastening feature 364 a (e.g., a strip of hook material) and a similarfourth fastening feature 364 b. The first and second fastening features364 of the side cover 376 are positioned to align with the correspondingfastening features 362 on the side surface of the side seal sub-assembly370.

Turning next to FIG. 3D, to fully assemble the side seal 124 inaccordance with the illustrated embodiment, the first side cover 376 ais positioned against the first side of the side seal sub-assembly 370so that the corresponding fastening features 362 and 364 overlay andattach to each other, and an opposite second side cover (not shown)having the same shape is similarly attached to the opposite side surfaceof the side seal sub-assembly 370. Because the outboard side cover 376on each side seal 124 contacts the inboard side surface of the dockbumper 112 and the dock bumper seal 126 during operation, the side coverfabric can become worn over time. However, the releasable fasteningfeatures described above enable the side covers 376 to be easilyreplaced when worn. As described in greater detail below, the shape,dimensions, and/or other features of the side seal sub-assembly 370enable the side seal sub-assembly to effectively seal the area beneaththe dock leveler lip, the trailer, and the pit floor when the dockleveler is in the lowered and deployed position.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a series of isometric views illustrating variousstages in a method of manufacturing the bumper seals 126 shown in FIG. 1in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In theillustrated embodiment, both of the bumper seals 126 a and 126 b areformed in generally the same way and, accordingly, may be referred toherein as “the bumper seal 126.” More specifically, the bumper seal 126of this embodiment can be formed by suitably attaching a sealing strip482 (e.g., a flexible and resilient flat rubber strip) to an edgeportion of a slightly thicker bumper cover 480 (e.g., a sheet offlexible and resilient material, such as rubber, vinyl, etc.). The outeredge of the sealing strip 482 can by offset a distance D1 away from theadjacent edge of the bumper cover 480, and can be attached to the bumpercover 480 by stitching 484 and/or adhesively bonding overlappingportions of the two parts together, and/or by other suitable methodsknown in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the distance D1 can befrom about 0.5 inch to about 3 inches, or about 1 inch. As shown in FIG.4B, after the sealing strip 482 is suitably attached to the bumper cover480, the bumper cover/sealing strip combination is folded so that theopposite end portions overlay each other.

FIG. 4C is a top front isometric view illustrating a method of attachingthe second bumper seal 126 b to the second bumper 112 b of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In theillustrated embodiment, the second bumper seal 126 b is first positionedso that the sealing strip 482 overhangs the dock leveler side of thebumper 112 b by a second distance D2, and a front fold 488 overhangs thebumper face by a third distance D3. In one embodiment, for example, thesecond distance D2 can be from about 0.5 inch to about 2 inches, orabout 1 inch, and the third distance D3 can be from about 0.5 inch toabout 4 inches, or about 2 inches. Once the bumper seal 126 b has beenappropriately located, it can be attached to the top surface of thebumper 112 b with one or more suitable fasteners 486 (e.g., screws),adhesive, etc.

Although the bumper seal 126 of the illustrated embodiment is made frommaterial that is folded in half and fastened to the top surface of adock bumper in such a way as to create a loop projecting beyond the faceof the bumper, in other embodiments suitable bumper seals configured inaccordance with the present disclosure can be made from other materialsin other ways. For example, in other embodiments all or portions of asuitable bumper seal can be manufactured from compressible foammaterial, and/or from extruded materials, such as extruded foam orrubber. In addition, although the sealing strip 482 of the illustratedembodiment may be a more flexible and softer material than the bumpercover 480, in other embodiments the separate side sealing strip 482 canbe omitted and functionally replaced by a portion of the bumper cover480.

FIG. 5A is an enlarged side view illustrating attachment of the upperedge portion 234 of the bottom seal 122 to the underside of the deck 114in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 5A,the deck 114 and corresponding deck lip 116 are in a vertical position(e.g., a stored position). In this embodiment, the upper edge portion234 is positioned in edge contact with, or at least proximate to, a deckheader bar 590 so that the bottom seal 122 hangs pendent therefrom.

FIG. 5B is a front view illustrating attachment of the sealing system120 to the dock leveler system 100 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure. The bottom seal 122 should be locatedside-to-side such that opposing side edges 510 a and 510 b just contactthe inboard side surfaces of the adjacent dock bumpers 112 a and 112 bwhen the deck 114 is lowered into position. The upper edge portion 234of the bottom seal 122 is positioned so that the notch 254 providesclearance for a lip lifting mechanism or actuator 596 (e.g., a hydrauliccylinder). In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of fasteners 592(e.g., screws, such as ¼ inch Tek screws) are installed through theupper edge portion 234 of the bottom seal 122 to secure the upper edgeportion 234 to a series of deck beams 594 proximate the header bar 590.

FIGS. 6A-6C are a series of isometric views illustrating various stagesin a method for assembling the under-deck sealing system 120 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring firstto FIG. 6A, the side seals 124 a and 124 b are attached to the bottomseal 122 by pressing the releasable fastening features 348 a on the rearsurfaces of the side seals 124 against the releasable fastening features248 attached to the front surface of the bottom seal 122. For example,if the releasable fastening features 248 and 348 include correspondingportions of a hook and loop type fastener (e.g., corresponding portionsof Velcro™) then the side seals are releasably attached to the bottomseal 122 by simply pressing the Velcro™ strips together in a knownmanner. In other embodiments, the side seals 124 can be attached to thebottom seal 122 using other suitable methods and systems known in theart, including other fastening systems such as snaps, stitching,adhesive, etc. Returning momentarily to FIG. 5B, when the side seals 124are correctly positioned on the bottom seal 122, each of the respectiveside seals 124 should be inset approximately one inch away from theadjacent side edge 510 of the bottom seal 122 so that the outer sidesurface of each side sealing pad 124 just contacts the adjacent inneredge of the sealing strip 482 (FIG. 4C) on the corresponding bumper seal126 when the deck 114 is lowered into position.

Once the side seals 124 have been properly positioned on the bottom seal122, the releasable fastening features on the upper flaps 250 of thebottom seal 122 are folded downwardly against the correspondingreleasable fastening features 348 b on the second upper surfaces 356 bas shown in FIG. 6B. In addition, the releasable fastening features 348c on the backside of the lower flaps 358 are folded rearward around thelower edge portion of the bottom seal 122 and compressed against thecorresponding releasable fastening features 252 on the backside of thebottom seal 122 (FIG. 2B). Attaching the rear surface 352, the secondupper surface 356 b, and the lower flap 358 of each side seal 124 to thebottom seal 122 creates a secure and durable connection between the sidesealing pads 124 and the bottom pad 122.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an elastic lanyard or tether assembly 700configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.The tether assembly 700 includes a snap hook 702 fixedly attached to afirst end of an elastic or resilient cord 706 (e.g., a bungee cord). Aclamp or other suitable fitting 704 is fixedly attached to the oppositeend of the cord 706. In the illustrated embodiment, the fitting 704 caninclude a relatively simple channel or U-shaped body with a clampingfeature 708 (e.g., a threaded bolt) for securing the fitting 704 to abeam or other structure on the underside of a dock leveler deck.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate further stages in a method for installing thesealing system 120 on the dock leveler deck 114 in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8A, tetherassembly 700 is attached to the backside of the bottom seal 122 byinserting the snap hook 702 through the grommet 260 on the grommet tab256. The fitting 704 is then secured to the underside of the deck 114(e.g., to a deck beam 594) a distance aft of the bottom seal 122 bytightening the clamping feature 708 (FIG. 7). The dock leveler deck 114is then rotated downwardly from the vertical position until a bottomfront corner 828 of each side seal 124 is approximately positioned shownin the FIG. 8B. At this time, the deck 114 is stopped and the fore andaft position of the tether fitting 704 (FIG. 7) on the correspondingdeck beam 594 is adjusted so that the bottom front corner 828 of eachside seal 124 is positioned a distance D4 away from the front face ofthe corresponding dock bumper 112. In one embodiment, for example, theoffset distance D4 can be from about 1 inch to about 4 inches, or about2 inches. Once the tether assembly 700 has been adjusted in theforegoing manner, the clamping feature 708 can be tightened to hold thefitting 704 in the desired location. In other embodiments, the tether700 can be omitted and suitable weights can be added to the front lowercorners of the side seals 124 to bias the bottom seal 122 rearward inthe desired position.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the dock leveler system 100 in an operatingposition in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Avehicle 900 (e.g., a shipping trailer) backs up to the loading dock sothat its rear bumper 904 contacts the dock bumpers 112. The dock levelerdeck 114 rotates downwardly and the lip 116 extends outwardly beforecoming to rest on a bed 902 of the vehicle 900. In this position, thebottom seal 122 contacts and generally seals against the pit floor 108,and each of the side seals 124 effectively seals the openings and/orgaps defined by the underside of the deck lip 116, the vehicle bumper900, the dock bumper 112, and the pit floor 108.

The side profile or shape of the side sealing pads 124 is configured toconform to the surfaces that form the openings and leak paths describedabove. For example, the angled edge portion 378 of the side covers 376(FIG. 3C) help the side seals 124 to conform and seal around a lip hinge903 of the dock leveler 100. Moreover, as the side seals 124 movedownwardly into contact with the pit floor 108 and/or the vehicle bumper904, the notch or gap G allows the front finger 351 to deflect towardthe rear finger 353 with relatively little compression of thecorresponding foam core 372 (FIGS. 3A and 3B). This can reduce theamount of side seal cover fabric 374 that can bunch up as the deck 114lowers into position. Conversely, if the side seal 124 were made fromsolid foam, that is, without the gap G, the fabric cover along the sidesurfaces could bunch up under deflection and become caught between thelip 116 and/or the trailer bumper 904. In addition, the beveled surface360 (FIG. 3B) on the upper front portion of the side seal 124 can reducethe likelihood that the side sealing pad cover can become pinched ortrapped between the lip 116 and the trailer bumper 904.

As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, embodiments ofthe sealing system 120 and the side seal 124 disclosed above can improveover prior art seals because they can effectively seal the open areasdefined above throughout the entire range, or at least approximately theentire range, of normal dock leveler operating conditions (e.g., maximumto minimum open areas). For example, embodiments of the side seals 124can effectively seal even when the back of a trailer is approximately 2or more inches away from the face of the dock bumpers 112, and/or whenthe lip 116 is at or near the maximum operating height relative to atrailer parked against the dock bumpers 112, and/or when the lip 116 isat the minimum operating height. Vent holes in the side seal cover 374,located, for example, proximate the upper rear face of the front finger351 (FIGS. 3A and 3B) can allow air to escape and prevent the fingerfabric cover from billowing and becoming trapped under the lip 116during compression. In addition, vent/drain holes can also be located inor near the bottom surface of the cover 374.

Although various functional aspects of the side seals 124 have beendescribed above with the deck lip 116 extended onto the bed 902 of thetrailer 900, the sealing systems described herein can also be used withthe deck lip 116 extended downwardly at approximately 90 degrees in anend-loading configuration. In such embodiments, the bottom surface ofthe lip 116 contacts the first upper surfaces 356 a of the side seals124 and rotates the seals 124 and the corresponding bottom seal 122rearwardly about the upper attachment point of the bottom seal 122. Asthe lip 116 rotates further downward, the side seals 124 and bottom pad122 continue to rotate rearward. When the leveler deck 114 is broughtinto an operating position, stop legs 906 contact the pit floor 108, andthe side seals 124 become compressed under the leveler and behind thegenerally vertical lip 116. When the leveler deck 114 is subsequentlyraised, the side seals 124 return to their original profile shapewithout damage.

A further advantage of embodiments of the present disclosure is thatbecause the side seals 124 and generally vertical bottom pad 122 aremounted to the underside of the dock leveler system 100, the pit floor108 remains relatively unobstructed and cleaning the pit floor 108 is arelatively easy operation. In contrast to other types of levelers/pitseals designs which are mounted to the pit floor and/or to the face ofthe building just outside the pit floor, which can make cleaning of thepit cumbersome.

Embodiments of the bumper seals 126 described herein can be made from aheavy-duty, two-ply material that is both flexible and resilient, andhas relatively good memory. One advantage of embodiments of the bumperseals 126 is that if a trailer does not back fully into a loading dockall the way, such that the rear of the trailer does not contact the faceof the bumpers, the cover seal 126 can seal the remaining gap betweenthe rear of the trailer and face of the bumper. Such gaps can also occurif the trailer backs into the loading dock at an angle and contacts onlyone of the two bumpers. Because the bumper seals 126 are flexible andresilient, the seals can recover and return to their original shapeswhen the trailer leaves the loading dock.

References throughout the foregoing description to features, advantages,or similar language do not imply that all of the features and advantagesthat may be realized with the present technology should be or are in anysingle embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to thefeatures and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature,advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus,discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language,throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe present technology may be combined in any suitable manner in one ormore embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize thatthe present technology can be practiced without one or more of thespecific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In otherinstances, additional features and advantages may be recognized incertain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of thepresent technology.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, ifnecessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the variousreferences described above to provide yet further implementations of theinvention.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling orconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above:” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, refer tothis application as a whole and not to any particular portions of thisapplication. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

The above Detailed Description of examples and embodiments of theinvention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention tothe precise form disclosed above. While specific examples for theinvention are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention,as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. While the abovedescription describes various embodiments of the invention and the bestmode contemplated, regardless how detailed the above text, the inventioncan be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its specific implementation, while still beingencompassed by the present disclosure. As noted above, particularterminology used when describing certain features or aspects of theinvention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is beingredefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the invention to the specific examplesdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but also allequivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under theclaims.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration,but that various modifications may be made without deviating from thespirit and scope of the various embodiments of the invention. Further,while various advantages associated with certain embodiments of theinvention have been described above in the context of those embodiments,other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not allembodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within thescope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited,except as by the appended claims. Moreover, although certain aspects ofthe invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the applicantcontemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claimforms. Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to pursueadditional claims after filing this application to pursue suchadditional claim forms, in either this application or in a continuingapplication.

1. A dock leveler sealing system for use with a dock leveler having adeck and an extendable lip, the sealing system comprising: a bottom sealconfigured to be attached to an underside portion of the deck and moveup and down therewith; and a side seal configured to be attached to thebottom seal and extend forwardly therefrom, wherein the side sealincludes: a lower surface portion; a forward surface portion configuredto be positioned beneath the deck lip and face away from the bottomseal, the forward surface portion extending between the lower surfaceportion and a first upper surface portion; and an aft surface portionconfigured to be attached to the bottom seal, the aft surface portionextending between the lower surface portion and a second upper surfaceportion that is vertically offset from the first upper surface portion.2. The dock leveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein the first uppersurface portion is vertically offset from the lower surface portion by afirst height, and wherein the second upper surface portion is verticallyoffset from the lower surface portion by a second height that is lessthan the first height.
 3. The dock leveler sealing system of claim 1wherein the bottom seal has a proximal edge portion configured to beattached to the underside portion of the deck and a distal edge portionconfigured to hang pendent therefrom, wherein the lower surface portionof the side seal is configured to be positioned adjacent the distal edgeportion and the second upper surface portion of the side seal isconfigured to be positioned adjacent the proximal edge portion.
 4. Thedock leveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein the first upper surfaceportion is spaced apart from the second upper surface portion by a gaptherebetween.
 5. The dock leveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein theside seal includes: a forward finger bounded by at least a portion ofthe forward surface portion and the first upper surface portion; and anaft finger spaced apart from the forward finger by a gap therebetween,wherein the aft finger is bounded by at least a portion of the aftsurface portion and the second upper surface portion.
 6. The dockleveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein the side seal is a first sideseal configured to be attached toward a first end portion of the bottomseal, wherein the sealing system further comprises a second side sealconfigured to be attached toward a second end portion of the bottomseal, and wherein the first and second side seals are at leastapproximately identical.
 7. The dock leveler sealing system of claim 1wherein the side seal includes a side surface extending between the aftsurface portion and the forward surface portion, and wherein the sideseal further comprises a replaceable cover realeasably attached to theside surface.
 8. The dock leveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein thefirst upper surface portion is spaced apart from the second uppersurface portion by a gap therebetween, and wherein the side seal furthercomprises a replaceable cover realeasably disposed over the gap.
 9. Thedock leveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein the side seal includes afirst side surface extending between the aft surface portion and theforward surface portion and an opposite second side surface extendingbetween the aft surface portion and the forward surface portion, andwherein the first side surface is spaced apart from the second sidesurface by a side seal width of from about 4 inches to about 16 inches.10. The dock leveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein the side seal iscomprised of a resilient core material covered by a durable cloth. 11.The dock leveler sealing system of claim 1, further comprising a bumperseal configured to be attached to an upper portion of a dock bumper,wherein the side seal is configured to contact the bumper seal when thedock leveler is in a lowered position.
 12. The dock leveler of claim 1,further comprising a beveled surface extending at an angle between theforward surface portion and the first upper surface portion.
 13. Thedock leveler sealing system of claim 1 wherein the first upper surfaceportion and the second upper surface portion are at least approximatelyparallel to each other. 14-22. (canceled)